Adding 6 new pullets to 8 old hens & 2 roosters

[KitchenFamilyFarm]

We’ve had the 6-7 week old pullets in with the older hens in a separate cage for almost a month eating & drinking next to each other. This week we decided to release them out with the 8 older hens & 2 roosters. We understand that they are on the bottom of the pecking order but the old hens are attacking them & it seems like more than the pecking order. The main issue is one of our roosters is attacking the babies. He won’t let them drink from the water, eat, and will not allow them in the coop without us intervening when it’s time to sleep.

Suggestions? Or is this normal?

 

[aart]

So 6 seven week olds, 8 older hens and 2 older males?

How much space total, in feet by feet, coop and run separately?
More pics showing all would help too.
Multiple feed and water stations?

I'd crate the interfering male and see how that goes.

These tips might help about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Mrs. K]

I would lock the roosters and any mean hen in where you have the babies.

 

[KitchenFamilyFarm]

I would lock the roosters and any mean hen in where you have the babies.

Like lock the hens, pullets & roosters in the small space together? Or lock the mean ones up & let the pullets roam?

 

[LaFleche]

Or lock the mean ones up & let the pullets roam?

This ^^

 

[Mrs. K]

Yes let the pullets out with out being chased. With less hens, this lets the pullets gain some territory rights.

When one has them in a small pen, the hens seem to think that is where they belong. And the chicks do too. They are unsure about the other space. Which makes them nervous, which just brings on the pecking, which makes them more nervous.

Letting them out in the run lets them find hide outs, hidden feed bowls without harassment. And I swear the big girls see them out there and the sky does not fall.

Let the big girls in as close as you can to dark. The way I do it, is to lock the big girls out of the run and the littles in the run coop. Feed along the fence if you want.

 

[KitchenFamilyFarm]

**UPDATE** this worked great. The pullets are doing good. Had to lock up the mean rooster 3 times for a whole day giving the nice rooster time to establish himself better as a leader. The other hens have also been better but they still peck them quite a bit. The pullets still don’t like to roost with the older layers but they’re getting braver.